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New Pension Scheme Ruling Giving Gay Couples Equal Rights

Clyde K. Valle
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New Pension Scheme Ruling Giving Gay Couples Equal Rights

When you hear about state and private pension reform in the UK, it is fair to say that the majority of changes are met with negativity. In recent times, we have seen the value of the typical state pension fall while the age at which citizens can comfortably retire in Britain is also set to increase incrementally over the next 20 years.

This trend has changed recently, however, with the announcement that gay applicants will now be able to secure equal pension benefits in the workplace.

Image source Public Domain Pictures

So how has this change come about, and what does it mean for citizens?

 The Rule Change: A Seminal Moment for UK Pensions

 The issue of equal pension rights has been a source of some controversy in recent times, thanks primarily to an exemption in the Equality Act that has historically enabled employers to exclude same sex civil partners and spouses from access to pension funds. More specifically, it prevented these applicants from receiving funds that were paid in prior to the Civil Partnership Act being passed into law back in 2005, with businesses thought to be leveraging this loophole to reduce pension payouts.

The legislation was finally challenged by retired businessman John Walker, 66, who brought a case to the Supreme Court in an attempt to secure the equal pension rights upon his death for his husband. He argued that his partner should receive the same benefits and payout as any same sex couple, and after a prolonged legal battle the court finally ruled unanimously in his favour last week. As a result, the exemption has been immediately discontinued and any companies that continue to discriminate on this basis will be found to be breaking the law.

The Last Word: What Does This Mean for the Industry and Same Sex Applicants

The ruling will have a far-reaching impact on the industry, as same sex applicants will now be eligible to receive 50% of the value of a pension (for the remainder of their life) in the event of their partners’ death. According to the government’s figures, the full equalisation of pension rights will cost an estimated £3.3 billion to UK firms, with the public sector likely to be the most adversely affected.

From the perspective of same sex applicants, the ruling is exceptionally good news and eases much of the concern and worry that has blighted homosexual couples as they approach retirement. It also means that they can make more certain plans for their future, with service providers such as Tilney available to help applicants optimise their pension funds.

Above all else, it is another victory for equality in the UK and one that will have a seismic and instant impact on the pension sector.

Sinead O’Connor Feels “Suicidal” in Facebook Video

Sonia Pantiss
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Sinead O’Connor Feels “Suicidal” in Facebook Video

In a video posted on her Facebook account, Sinead O’Connor has said she feels “suicidal”.

Sinead O’Connor is seen crying in the 12-minute video, which she said she was uploading in an effort to help people understand mental illness.

“I am now living in a motel in New Jersey. I’m all by myself,” the singer said.

“Mental illness, it’s like drugs, it doesn’t [care] who you are, and equally what’s worse, the stigma doesn’t care who you are.”

“There’s absolutely nobody in my life except my doctor, my psychiatrist – the sweetest man on earth, who says I’m his hero – and that’s about the only thing keeping me alive at the moment… and that’s kind of pathetic.

“I want everyone to know what it’s like, that’s why I’m making this video.”

Image source Flickr

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Sinead O’Connor criticized her family for not taking better care of her over the last two years.

“I am one of millions… people who suffer from mental illness are the most vulnerable people on earth, we can’t take care of ourselves, you’ve got to take care of us,” she said.

“My entire life is revolving around not dying, and that’s not living. And I’m not going to die, but still, this is no way for people to be living.”

Sinead O’Connor was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2003, but she later said she had been misdiagnosed and actually suffered from depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ​(PTSD).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=919ip9_urEo

Venezuela Government Websites Hacked

Diane A. Wade
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Venezuela Government Websites Hacked

Venezuela’s government websites have been hacked in an operation targeting the “dictatorship” of President Nicolás Maduro.

Calling itself “The Binary Guardians”, the hacking group posted messages appearing to support the actions of a group of armed civilians who attacked a military base in the central city of Valencia on August 6.

Meanwhile, President Maduro’s supporters marched in the capital Caracas.

They called for an end to months of opposition protests and unrest.

Image source teleSUR

More than 100 people have died in the protests against the failing economy and what the opposition sees as the government’s illegal attempts to cling to power.

The hacked sites included the Venezuelan government, the National Electoral Council and the Venezuelan navy.

A message on the main government site made reference to “Operation David”, which Venezuelan media had reported was the codename of the attack in Valencia.

“This dictatorship has its days numbered,” the message added.

The government said it had repelled the attack in Valencia, which was carried out by a group of armed civilians led by a military deserter.

A search was under way for 10 men who escaped with weapons after the attack, President Maduro said.

The assault in the north-western city of Valencia was carried out by 20 people, he said. Two were killed, one was injured and seven were arrested.

Earlier, a video posted on social media showed uniformed men saying they were rising against a “murderous tyranny”.

On state TV, Niclas Maduro congratulated the army for its “immediate reaction” in putting down the attack on August 6, saying they had earned his “admiration.”

The president called the incident a “terrorist attack” carried out by “mercenaries”, and said the security forces were actively searching for those who had escaped.

“We’ll get them,” Nicolas Maduro vowed.

The government said that those arrested included a first lieutenant who had deserted. It said the others were civilians wearing uniforms.

President Maduro said the group had been backed by anti-government leaders based in the US and Colombia.

In August 6 video, a rebel leader who identified himself as Juan Caguaripano, said that his group – which he called the 41st Brigade – was taking a stand against the “murderous tyranny of President Nicolás Maduro”.

“This is not a coup but a civic and military action to re-establish constitutional order.”

Violent demonstrations began in April and have spread across Venezuela which, despite being oil-rich, is experiencing severe shortages of food and medicines, as well as inflation in excess of 700%.

The incident in Valencia came the day after the first session of the newly inaugurated Constituent Assembly, seen by the opposition as a way for the left-wing president to cling to power.

Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly said that the new body will bring peace to Venezuela.

The Constituent Assembly has the ability to rewrite the constitution and could override the opposition-controlled parliament, the National Assembly.

On August 5, it immediately voted to dismiss Chief Prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz, a former ally of President Maduro who has become a major critic of his rule.

9/11 Victim Identified after 16 Years

Diane A. Wade
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9/11 Victim Identified after 16 Years

According to the New York City’s medical examiner, another victim of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center has been identified.

The male victim is the 1,641st person to be identified out of a total of 2,753 people who died in the attack.

The man’s identity – which was determined using new DNA technology – is being withheld at the request of his family.

Before August 7 announcement, it had been over two years since the last identification took place.

Image source Flickr

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The last time a victim was identified was March 2015.

The man’s identity was determined by New York City’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which had been retesting DNA recovered in 2001.

A total of 1,112 people who died (40%) remain unidentified nearly 16 years after the 9/11 attack.

On September 11, 2001, two planes crashed in New York City plus one at the Pentagon in Virginia and another in Pennsylvania, claiming nearly 3,000 lives and injuring thousands more.

North Korea Warns US over Fresh UN Sanctions

Diane A. Wade
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North Korea Warns US over Fresh UN Sanctions

North Korea has reacted after the US drafted the UN sanctions over its banned nuclear weapons program.

Pyongyang vowed to retaliate and make “the US pay a price”.

The sanctions, which were unanimously passed by the UN on August 5, were a “violent violation of our sovereignty,” the official KCNA news agency said.

Separately, South Korea says North Korea has rejected an offer to restart talks, dismissing it as insincere.

The sanctions will aim to reduce North Korea’s export revenues by a third.

The UN Security Council decision followed repeated missile tests by North Korea which have escalated tensions on the peninsula.

In its first major response on August 7, North Korea insisted that it would continue to develop its controversial nuclear weapons program.

The state-run KCNA news agency said North Korea would “not put our self-defensive nuclear deterrent on the negotiating table” while it faces threats from the US.

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Pyongyang threatened to make the US “pay the price for its crime… thousands of times,” referring to America’s role in drafting the UN sanctions resolution.

Speaking to reporters at a regional forum in the Philippine capital, Manila, North Korean spokesman Bang Kwang Hyuk said: “The worsening situation on the Korean peninsula, as well as the nuclear issues, were caused by the United States.

“We affirm that we’ll never place our nuclear and ballistic missiles program on the negotiating table, and won’t budge an inch on strengthening nuclear armament.”

The remarks come after reports emerged that the North and South Korean foreign ministers had met briefly on August 6 on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Manila.

South Korean media reported that its Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha shook hands with her North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong Ho, in a brief and unarranged meeting at an official dinner event.

South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Kang Kyung-wha as saying that Ri Yong Ho’s rejection of the talks proposal appeared to be connected to the new sanctions.

“I told him that [the two offers for talks] are an urgent matter that should be carried out immediately with any political agenda put aside and asked him to proactively react,” she was quoted as saying.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told journalists on August 7: “My feeling is that the North did not entirely reject the positive proposals raised by the South.”

Wang Yi added that China also supported South Korea’s initiatives, and was “100%” committed to enforcing the latest round of UN sanctions.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is also at the ASEAN forum, where he spoke about North Korea.

Noting Russia and China’s participation in the unanimous vote, Rex Tillerson told journalists it was clear there was now “no daylight among the international community” on their desire for North Korea to stop its tests.

“The best signal that North Korea can give us [is] that they are prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches,” he added.

Russia and China have previously differed with others on how to handle Pyongyang, but in recent months have joined calls for North Korea to stop its missile tests – while also urging the US and South Korea to halt military drills, and withdraw an anti-missile system from the South.

Turkey Suspected Coup Plotters to Wear Brown Uniforms, Says President Erdogan

Roy Siemens
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Turkey Suspected Coup Plotters to Wear Brown Uniforms, Says President Erdogan

All suspected coup plotters and “terrorists” will have to wear an almond-brown uniform when they appear in court, said Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

President Erdogan said jumpsuits would be worn by those accused of involvement in the July 2016 coup plot.

Other “terrorists” would wear jackets and trousers. That term is used for followers of US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen and for Kurdish rebels.

Last month a defendant wearing a “Hero” T-shirt appeared before a judge.

Turkish police later detained nearly 30 people for wearing T-shirts with the word “hero” on them, the CNNTurk news channel reported.

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In a speech in the eastern town of Malatya, President Erdogan said: “There will be no more coming into court wearing whatever they want.”

On the July 15th anniversary of the coup attempt, the Turkish president demanded a prisoner uniform “like in Guantanamo”. The US prison for alleged jihadists makes inmates wear bright orange jumpsuits.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey must root out all the “Gulenists” blamed for the coup plot in which at least 260 people died. Rogue officers tried to topple him and bombed parliament in a night of bloodshed.

The president said defendants were “lying all the time” in court.

More than 50,000 people have been detained and 150,000 public servants suspended from work in a post-coup purge.

There has been strong international criticism of the sweeping crackdown, enacted under a state of emergency.

Turkey Suspected Coup Plotters to Wear Brown Uniforms, Says President Erdogan

Chris Pratt and Anna Faris to Divorce after Eight Years of Marriage

Lisa.Felice
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Chris Pratt and Anna Faris to Divorce after Eight Years of Marriage

Chris Pratt and Anna Faris have announced that they are divorcing after eight years of marriage in joint statements shared on Facebook.

The actors, who met in 2007 while filming the romantic comedy Take Me Home Tonight, said attempts to save their relationship had failed.

Chris Pratt wrote in a post on Facebook on August 6: “We tried hard for a long time, and we’re really disappointed.”

Anna Faris, 40, and Chris Pratt, 38, got married in 2009. They have a son named Jack.

Their statement added: “Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward.”

It also added that the two had “cherished” their time together and “continue to have the deepest respect for one another”.

Image source Flickr

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Chris Pratt, who played Andy Dwyer in the comedy series Parks and Recreation, has become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men thanks to roles in Jurassic World and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

In April, the actor paid a lengthy tribute to Anna Faris after receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“Without you, none of this would mean anything,” he said.

Anna Faris had earlier praised Chris Pratt at the ceremony, introducing him to the stage with an emotional speech.

“I know that if our circumstances were different, and we weren’t as fortunate to be standing here and leading our Hollywood life, we would be happy in the woods together,” she said.

Anna Faris found fame in 2000 with Scary Movie, the spoof horror movie series in which she played Cindy Campbell in the first four installments.

She later co-starred alongside Sacha Baron Cohen in the controversial 2012 movie The Dictator.

Anna Faris went on to play the role of Christy Plunkett, a single mother who has battled with alcoholism and drug abuse in Chuck Lorre’s sitcom Mom.

The correct approach in writing the abstract, diploma, course work

James J. Williams
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The correct approach in writing the abstract, diploma, course work

Every person at some point in his life must choose the professional field in which he wants to work. Therefore, they must write the graduate school essay or other sort of work. Students who make this choice consciously understand what their aspirations are and what their future work is. As a rule, such students study with pleasure, take an active part not only in the public but also in the scientific life of a higher educational establishment. Already from the first year, an experienced teacher can notice in his wards ability to find and analyse information about an object of interest to him. A student who shows interest in the subject gives additional time to study participates in special events devoted to his topic is interested in news, will necessarily attract the attention of the staff of the department.

So what is the correct approach to writing the abstract, diploma, course work or any other work? If you do not want to buy research paper online but decided to write the work themselves you have to remember a few tips.

Introduction

Probably, most do not like to execute the course, abstracts, diploma work. This is understandable, hours of tedious monotonous work and ultimately the headache. But there are a couple of tips that can ease your work and in some cases save yourself from early grey hair.

Structurality

Many students combine all work into one file together with the title page. Sometimes it’s easier to spread everything down the shelves, the title page of one document, the introduction to the other, each section separately and so on. First, it’s easier to navigate. Secondly, it’s easier to find the right material, without turning half the text into a search for the desired section, and print it easier. If it’s difficult to write structured text then you can ask for help in any affordable essay writing service, for example scoobydomyessay.com.

Beware …

Never. Remember! Never store your abstracts, courses, diplomas only on removable media. Always have several copies of your work on a computer, a flash drive and you can even write to a disc. When you discard a flash drive or hard drive on a computer laptop, and this is according to the universal law of silence happens on the very last day, you simply copy it to another media.

Image source Pexels

Hotkeys

Use them if you know, and if you do not know, then find and learn. Using keyboard shortcuts will greatly speed up your work. Paste (Ctrl + V), Copy (Ctrl + C), Cut (Ctrl + X) are the most used commands that run much faster on the keyboard than with the mouse. And there are so many teams.

Priority

Remember, first reading and correcting spelling and punctuation errors. After executing the text, follow the intervals, and then insert the frames, if necessary. Otherwise, you will have to process a number of times all the frames that constantly go away or completely disappear from the changes made to the text. Any descriptive essay or research work needs literacy.

Form

Do not confuse a spoken language with a literary one. In this case, it is not necessary to make it difficult to construct sentences. Be easier. Do not overdo the volume of your work. If the text is longer, it does not mean that it will be better. The volume should not exceed the number of pages accepted for this type of work at your institution.

The main thing

Do not delay writing the abstract thesis or course paper to the last. It’s better to do a little bit every day than ever before in the last days. Only then will your text be good and contain the slightest mistakes.

Israel Accuses Al Jazeera of Incitement

Roy Siemens
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Israel Accuses Al Jazeera of Incitement

Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu is accusing Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera of incitement.

The Israeli government is seeking to close Al Jazeera’s offices in Israel and revoke its journalists’ media credentials.

Communications Minister Ayoub Kara alleged that Al Jazeera supported terrorism, and said both its Arabic and English-language channels would be taken off air.

The channel has condemned the decision.

The government said it was basing its decision on a similar ban by several Sunni Arab states, amid their diplomatic rift with Qatar, which hosts and funds Al Jazeera.

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Ayoub Kara said cable TV providers had agreed to take the network off the air, but that closing its Jerusalem bureau would need further legislation.

“Al Jazeera has become the main tool of Daesh [ISIS], Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran,” he told a news conference.

PM Netanyahu tweeted his congratulations to Ayoub Kara, “who on my instructions took concrete steps to end Al Jazeera’s incitement”.

An Al Jazeera official in the Qatari capital Doha told AFP that the channel “deplores this action from a state that is called the only democratic state in the Middle East, and considers what it has done is dangerous”.

Benjamin Netanyahu had accused the pan-Arab TV channel of fuelling a recent crisis around a holy site in Jerusalem known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount.

New security measures imposed by Israel after two policemen were killed nearby sparked protests by Palestinians, and the Israeli government eventually removed the security apparatus, which included metal detectors.

The prime minister vowed in late July to “expel Al Jazeera” for its reporting of the issue, which he said had incited violence.

The Al Jazeera official defended its coverage, saying it was “professional and objective”.

The network’s editor in Jerusalem has accused PM Netanyahu of collusion with his autocratic Arab neighbors in an attack on free and independent media.

Al Jazeera has come under attack from several governments in the region in recent months to the concern of free press campaigners.

Saudi Arabia and Jordan both shut Al Jazeera offices as a measure against Qatar.

Others, including the UAE and Bahrain, have blocked its channel and websites.

Israel’s communications ministry said on August 6 that “nearly all countries in the region… have concluded that Al Jazeera incites terrorism and religious extremism”.

The ministry added that it had become “ridiculous that the channel continued to broadcast from Israel”.

Shutting Al Jazeera was on a list of 13 demands by the four Arab nations leading a boycott of Qatar that were tabled in June.

The Arabic-language news channel first launched in 1996, and shook up the media landscape in the Middle East by airing criticisms of governments and rulers in the region.

Al Jazeera says it was the first Arabic channel to feature Israeli politicians and commentators on the air.

However, Israel has frequently accused it of being biased in reporting the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

UN Security Council Agrees on Fresh Sanctions Against North Korea

Roy Siemens
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0
UN Security Council Agrees on Fresh Sanctions Against North Korea

The UN Security Council has agreed on fresh sanctions against North Korea over its missile program.

A resolution banning North Korean exports and limiting investments in the country was passed unanimously.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said it was “the most stringent set of sanctions on any country in a generation”.

North Korea tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles in July, claiming it now had the ability to hit the US.

However, experts doubt the capability of the missiles to hit their targets.

The tests were condemned by South Korea, Japan and the US, and prompted the drafting of the new UN sanctions.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is attending a regional forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Manila, in the Philippines, with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho also present.

Image source Wikipedia

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According to US officials, North Korea’s nuclear program is expected to be a major issue but there are no plans for a bilateral meeting.

Speaking as he sat down for talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Rex Tillerson said the sanctions were a “good outcome”.

President Donald Trump tweeted to say the sanctions would cost North Korea more than $1 billion.

The export of coal, ore and other raw materials to China is one of North Korea’s few sources of cash. Estimates say that North Korea exports about $3 billion worth of goods each year – and the sanctions could eliminate $1 billion of that trade.

Earlier this year, China suspended imports of coal to increase pressure on North Korea.

However, repeated sanctions have so far failed to deter Pyongyang from continuing with its missile development.

Ambassador Nikki Haley said the Security Council had increased the penalty for North Korea’s ballistic missile activity “to a whole new level”.

“Today the Security Council has come together to put the North Korean dictator on notice,” she told the council after the vote on August 5.

“North Korea’s irresponsible and careless acts have just proved to be costly for the regime.”

Meanwhile, North Korea’s ruling-party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said nuclear action or sanctions taken by Washington would lead to an “unimaginable sea of fire” engulfing the US.

The article, printed before the new UN sanctions were approved, added that if the US did not move away from its “hostile policy towards Pyongyang, the only choice for the US is self-destruction”.

China, North Korea’s only international ally and a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, voted in favor of the resolution this time. China has often protected North Korea from harmful resolutions in the past.

In Manila, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the sanctions were “necessary” but were “not the ultimate purpose”.

“Our purpose is to bring all parties involved in the nuclear issues back to negotiation table, finding the resolutions through talks to realize the denuclearization of Korean peninsula,” he told journalists.

North Korea’s repeated missile and nuclear weapon tests have been condemned by neighbors in the region.

However, South Korea says it may hold direct talks with the North during the ASEAN summit.

South Korea’s foreign minister said she was willing to talk to her counterpart from Pyongyang, if the chance “naturally occurs”.

Altogether, 27 nations are sending representatives to the ASEAN forum.

ASEAN’s 10 member states issued a joint statement saying they had “grave concerns” over North Korea’s actions, which “seriously threaten peace”.

Venezuela: Chief Prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz Dismissed by New Constituent Assembly

Diane A. Wade
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Venezuela: Chief Prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz Dismissed by New Constituent Assembly

Venezuela’s chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz says she was dismissed by the new constituent assembly because the government wanted to stop her investigations into alleged corruption and human rights abuses.

Luisa Ortega, a supporter turned critic of President Nicolás Maduro, has rejected her dismissal.

She will face trial for “serious misconduct”, the Supreme Court says.

Meanwhile, one of the opposition leaders, Leopoldo Lopez, has been returned from jail to house arrest.

Leopoldo López was taken from his home on August 1 and spent four days in a military jail.

South American regional bloc Mercosur has suspended Venezuela “indefinitely”, having previously placed it under a temporary ban. It says the country will not be re-admitted until the constituent assembly is scrapped and all political prisoners are released.

Another opponent of the government, Antonio Ledezma, is also back under house arrest after three days in jail last week.

Antinio Ledezma and Leopoldo Lopez had encouraged protests against the constituent assembly, which is dominated by government supporters.

In its first session on August 5, the assembly unanimously voted to remove Luisa Ortega from her post.

She was prevented from entering her office in Caracas by dozens of National Guard officers in riot gear, and left on a motorbike amid chaotic scenes.

In a statement released by the public prosecutor’s office, Luisa Ortega said President Maduro’s government was leading a “coup against the constitution”.

“I do not recognize the decision,” she said of her dismissal.

“[This is] just a tiny example of what’s coming for everyone that dares to oppose this totalitarian form of ruling.”

Image source Wikimedia

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Venezuela’s Supreme Court, loyal to Nicolas Maduro, did not give details of the accusations against Luisa Ortega.

Luisa Ortega, who broke ranks with the government in March, had opposed the assembly’s inauguration on August 4, citing allegations of voting fraud.

Tarek William Saab, a supporter of President Nicolas Maduro, has been sworn in as her replacement.

Luisa Ortega’s removal was widely expected but the fact that it was decided on the first working day of the assembly suggested that the new body could take aggressive measures against President Maduro’s critics, correspondents say.

Mexico, Peru and Colombia have condemned Luisa Ortega’s dismissal.

President Maduro says the constituent assembly is needed to bring peace after months of protests sparked by severe economic hardship.

However, the opposition says it is a way for the president to cling to power.

The constituent assembly has the ability to rewrite the constitution, and could override the opposition-controlled parliament, the National Assembly.

Julio Borges, speaker of the National Assembly, said Luisa Ortega’s removal was illegal and showed that the country’s institutions had been “taken hostage by only one hand, only one political party” through “an undemocratic mechanism that is utterly dictatorial.”

Despite being oil-rich, Venezuela is experiencing severe shortages of food and medicines, as well as inflation in excess of 700%. Violent demonstrations since April have left more than 100 people dead.

Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli Found Guilty of Securities Fraud

Diane A. Wade
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0
Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli Found Guilty of Securities Fraud

Former Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli has been found guilty of three counts of securities fraud.

A New York City jury cleared Martin Shkreli on five other counts after five days of deliberations.

Martin Shkreli, 34, was on trial in relation to a drug company he previously headed, Retrophin, and a hedge fund he managed.

He was branded “the most hated man in America” in 2015 when his company hiked the price of a medication used by AIDS patients.

Despite facing prison after being convicted of two counts of securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud, Martin Shkreli professed himself pleased with the outcome.

Standing outside the court in Brooklyn, he said: “This was a witch hunt of epic proportions.

“And maybe they found one or two broomsticks but at the end of the day we’ve been acquitted of the most important charges in this case and I’m delighted to report that.”

Martin Shkreli, who attracted the nickname “Pharma Bro” and accusations of price gouging, is on trial in the US this week.

However, his case has little to do with the actions that won him notoriety.

Prosecutors allege Martin Shkreli committed fraud. They say he lied to investors and misused money to cover losses at different companies.

However, the much-hated drug price rise Martin Shkreli enacted as chief executive of Turing Pharmaceuticals was legal – and looks likely to remain that way, despite a push in the US for sweeping healthcare changes.

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Martin Shkreli became a symbol of pharmaceutical greed in 2015 when his company raised the price of Daraprim, a treatment for parasite infection that had been around for more than 60 years, from $13.50 a tablet to $750.

The move drew widespread criticism, including from President Donald Trump, who called Martin Shkreli “a spoiled brat” and said the industry was “getting away with murder”.

President Trump later told Congress that a goal guiding healthcare reform should be changes to bring down the “artificially high” cost of drugs.

Alarmed at the mounting pressure, several major drug companies earlier this year pledged to limit price increases to less than 10%.

However, healthcare shares rallied last week, as Senate and White House proposals for healthcare and prescription drugs came into focus without signs of a crackdown.

Those watching the political debates unfolding in Washington say they do not expect changes to address prescription drug costs this year.

“I don’t expect any dramatic action in the near term,” said John Rother, chief executive of the National Coalition on Health Care, which started a campaign against rising prescription drug prices two and a half years ago.

Turing’s pricing moves were extreme – but they were not isolated.

While overall generic drug prices declined between 2010 and 2015, according to a US Government Accountability Office (GAO) study of prices paid through the US’s Medicare government program – the cost of over 300 established generic drugs saw prices rises of 100% or more.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), net spending on prescription drugs increased nearly 20% in the US between 2013 and 2015.

Elsewhere, in Britain, Australia, France and Germany, the government regulates prices.

However, in the US, where pharmaceutical companies are a powerful political force, companies set the cost, which subsequently gets renegotiated with insurers, suppliers and hospitals.

US Economy Adds 209,000 Jobs in July 2017

Clyde K. Valle
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US Economy Adds 209,000 Jobs in July 2017

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US economy added 209,000 jobs in July, which was more than had been expected.

The strong jobs growth was helped by a wave of hiring in the hospitality industry.

The unemployment rate edged lower to 4.3%, matching May’s figure which was the lowest since 2001.

Employment in food services and drinking places rose 53,000 – that sector has now added 313,000 jobs since July 2016.

Employment in health care and professional and business services also saw strong growth.

The dollar gained ground after the jobs report came out. It added a third of a cent to trade at $1.1843 against the euro.

President Donald Trump welcomed the report writing on Twitter: “Excellent jobs numbers just released – and I have only just begun.”

He also hailed Toyota and Mazda’s announcement that they were planning to build a $1.6 billion car plant in the US.

The investment aims to produce 300,000 vehicles per year, and expects to employ about 4,000 Americans.

Photo Getty Images

Toyota and Mazda to Invest $1.6 Billion in US Car Plant

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The US has averaged growth of 184,000 jobs per month this year, roughly on pace with last year and well above the level needed to match increases in the working age population.

Many economists believe the gains have put the labor market at or near so-called full employment, and predicted that wages would rise as employers compete for workers.

But wage growth, while steady in July, has not accelerated.

The average hourly wage in the US was $26.36 in July, up 2.5% year-on-year. That was same pace as in June and slower than some prior months.

One reason for the lackluster wage growth may be that many of the job gains this year have been in lower-paid industries such as leisure and hospitality, where the average hourly wage was less than $15.50 in July.

That sector is responsible for almost a quarter of the more than 1m job gains since January.

There could also be more slack in the labor market than anticipated.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were about 5.3 million people working part-time in July who would have preferred full-time work, little changed since June.

The number of discouraged workers – who are not looking for work because they do not believe there are jobs available – has also changed little since July 2016.

US Issues First Written Notification on Paris Climate Change Agreement Pullout

Diane A. Wade
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0
US Issues First Written Notification on Paris Climate Change Agreement Pullout

The US has issued the first written notification that it intends to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

However, in the notice to the UN, the US State Department said Washington would remain in the talks process.

President Donald Trump drew international condemnation in June when he first announced the US intention to withdraw.

Donald Trump said the deal “punished” the US and would cost millions of American jobs.

August 4 announcement is seen as largely symbolic as no nation seeking to leave the pact can officially announce an intention to withdraw until November 4, 2019.

The process of leaving then takes another year, meaning it would not be complete until just weeks after the US presidential election in 2020.

Any new US president could then decide to rejoin the agreement.

Image source Wikipedia

The US statement read: “Today, the United States submitted a communication to the United Nations in its capacity as depositary for the Paris Agreement regarding the US intent to withdraw from the Paris Agreement as soon as it is eligible to do so.

“The United States will continue to participate in international climate change negotiations and meetings… to protect US interests and ensure all future policy options remain open to the administration.”

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Two months ago, President Trump indicated he was open to another climate deal “on terms that are fair to the United States”.

However, key signatories to the accord quickly ruled that out. The Paris Agreement took decades to finalize.

The US stance on climate change also caused divisions at the G20 summit in Germany in July.

A joint summit statement said it “took note of the decision of the United States of America to withdraw from the Paris Agreement”.

However, leaders of the other G20 members agreed the accord was “irreversible”.

Climate change, or global warming, refers to the damaging effect of gases, or emissions, released from industry, transportation, agriculture and other areas into the atmosphere.

The Paris Agreement aims to limit the global rise in temperature attributed to emissions. Only Syria and Nicaragua did not sign up.

NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies says the world’s average temperature has risen by about 0.8C since 1880, two-thirds of that since 1975.

US think tank Climate Interactive predicts that if all nations fully achieve their Paris pledges, the average global surface temperature rise by 2100 will be 3.3C, or 3.6C without the US.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFp6nk-PmaU

Non-iPhone Apple Watch in the Works

Nancy Clayson
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0
Non-iPhone Apple Watch in the Works

According to a Bloomberg report, Apple is working on an Apple Watch that does not need to be paired to an iPhone.

The new Watch will connect directly to LTE mobile networks.

Apple has begun talks with providers in the US and Europe about offering the device later this year, the report says.

Apple launched the Watch in 2015 but is yet to share any sales figures.

In a recent call to investors, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company’s watch was the best-selling smartwatch in the world.

However, in the wider wearables market, Apple lags behind Chinese firm Xiaomi and San Francisco-based Fitbit, according to Strategy Analytics.

Image source Flickr

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While originally positioned as a luxury device, Apple has more recently focused on the fitness credentials of the Watch.

Untethering it from the iPhone would open up a range of new functionality – such as allowing users to download songs on the move, even if they do not have their smartphone with them.

However, there will be concern about the battery life of the device. Most of the computational heavy-lifting on the current Apple Watch is done via the paired iPhone.

According to Bloomberg’s report, the new Apple Watch’s modem will be manufactured by Intel.

The Apple Watch would come on to the market several years after Apple rivals Samsung and LG launched their own cellular-enabled smart watches. However such devices have tended to be too large to gain any kind of mainstream popularity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTN8f9aIijs

Aldi Withdraws Eggs from Germany Stores over Insecticide Contamination Fear

Nancy Clayson
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0
Aldi Withdraws Eggs from Germany Stores over Insecticide Contamination Fear

Aldi has withdrawn all eggs from sale from its stores in Germany as they may have been contaminated by insecticide.

Tests showed that the chemical fipronil, which can harm people’s kidneys, liver and thyroid glands, was found in eggs from the Netherlands.

Fipronil is used to treat lice and ticks in chickens.

One German official said up to 10 million of the contaminated eggs may have been sold in Germany.

Agriculture minister for Lower Saxony Christian Meyer told German TV that there was a risk to children if they ate two of the eggs a day.

Image source Wikimedia

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About 180 poultry farms in the Netherlands have been temporarily shut in recent days while investigations are held.

Meanwhile, European supermarkets have moved to halt the distribution of eggs from the affected batches.

However, Aldi – which has close to 4,000 stores in Germany – is the first retailer to stop selling all eggs as a precaution.

“This is merely a precaution, there is no reason to assume there are any health risks,” the supermarket giant said in a statement.

Reuters reports that investigators believe the chemical may have originated in contaminated detergent used to clean barns.

Poultry World reported that fipronil may have been deliberately added to an existing insecticide to improve its effectiveness.

The Netherlands is Europe’s largest exporter of eggs and egg products, and one of the biggest in the world. It exports an estimated 65% of the 10 billion eggs it produces every year.

Toyota and Mazda to Invest $1.6 Billion in US Car Plant

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Toyota and Mazda to Invest $1.6 Billion in US Car Plant

Toyota and Mazda have teamed up to invest $1.6 billion in a new car plant in the US.

The two Japanese car giants have also agreed to join forces to develop electric car technology. Toyota is to take a 5% stake in Mazda, while Mazda will also invest in Toyota.

The new US plant aims to produce 300,000 vehicles a year and expects to employ about 4,000 people.

President Donald Trump tweeted the announcement was “a great investment in American manufacturing”.

Image source Wikimedia

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Earlier this year, Donald Trump had said Toyota would face hefty tariffs on cars built in Mexico for the US market if they were made south of the border.

The new plant will produce Toyota Corollas and a new Mazda SUV crossover.

The companies hope to be able to start production in 2021.

President Trump tweeted: “Toyota & Mazda to build a new $1.6B plant here in the U.S.A. and create 4K new American jobs. A great investment in American manufacturing!”

Dubai’s Torch Tower Catches Fire for Second Time in Two Years

Nancy Clayson
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0
Dubai’s Torch Tower Catches Fire for Second Time in Two Years

Hundreds of residents of Dubai’s Torch Tower have been evacuated after a huge fire broke out at the skyscraper for the second time in two years.

Footage posted on social media showed flames spreading up the residential skyscraper, and burning debris falling down.

The UAE authorities later said that civil defense workers “successfully evacuated” the building and the blaze was brought under control.

It is not clear what caused the fire in one of the world’s tallest buildings.

Image source Gulf News

The government of Dubai‘s media office tweeted: “No injuries have been reported so far in the Torch Tower fire incident.”

It added that “cooling operations were under way”.

The Torch Tower was damaged by an earlier blaze in February 2015.

The 79-storey skyscraper opened in 2011 and was the world’s tallest residential building at its opening, but has since been surpassed by six others. According to the Skyscraper Center, the Torch Tower is thought to be the 32nd tallest building in the world. It has 676 apartments and a two-bedroom flat starts at more than $500,000. Residents have access to an eight-storey garage and a swimming pool overlooking Dubai’s waterfront.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ahoF30_Nlo

Stephen Miller and Jim Acosta Exchange on Statue of Liberty and Immigration

Diane A. Wade
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0
Stephen Miller and Jim Acosta Exchange on Statue of Liberty and Immigration

The Statue of Liberty was caught in an exchange between White House adviser Stephen Miller and a CNN reporter after President Donald Trump backed an immigration policy favoring the better-educated.

“The Statue of Liberty says, <Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free>,” CNN’s Jim Acosta told Stephen Miller.

“It doesn’t say anything about speaking English,” Jim Acosta added.

Stephen Miller said the poem on the iconic American statue was “added later”.

The immigration overhaul, backed by President Trump on August 2, would curb the number of permanent, legal migrants allowed in the US each year and prioritize those who can speak English or are highly skilled.

President Trump’s senior policy adviser at the White House, Stephen Miller, said at a press briefing that the policy was “compassionate”.

The question-and-answer session turned into a fiery row as Stephen Miller and Jim Acosta clashed on the issue.

Image source CNN Money

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They verbally sparred over the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of freedom and what it represents in relation to US immigration policy.

In response to Jim Acosta’s point about the famous poem, Stephen Miller countered by saying that it was “not actually part of the original Statue of Liberty”.

“The poem that you’re referring to was added later,” he told Jim Acosta.

However, Jim Acosta, visibly unsatisfied with this response, used the daily briefing to accuse the Trump administration of “trying to engineer the racial and ethnic flow and people into this country”.

Stephen Miller said the accusation was “outrageous”, describing the policy as “pro-American immigration reform” that enjoyed “immense” support among the public.

“Jim, that is one of the most outrageous, insulting, ignorant and foolish things you have ever said,” Stephen Miller said.

“The notion that you think this is a racist bill is so wrong and so insulting.”

Stephen Miller said the bill, which also proposes to limit family-based migration to spouses and children, was a step towards realizing the administration’s plan to introduce an Australian-style, points-based immigration system.

The bill still has a long way to go before becoming law and would be likely to face resistance in Congress from members of both parties.

It is not the first time that CNN’s Jim Acosta has raised hackles at the White House. In January he was warned by then incoming press secretary Sean Spicer that he would be banned from future press conferences if he continued to “argue” with President Trump.

Tesla Revenues Double in Q2 2017

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Tesla Revenues Double in Q2 2017

Tesla quarterly revenues have more than doubled helped by higher deliveries of its upmarket vehicles but its losses also grew.

The electric car-maker reported revenue of almost $2.8 billion in Q2 2017, up from $1.3 billion during the same period last year.

Losses increased to $336 million, compared with $293 million in 2016.

However, investors were encouraged by Tesla’s prospects and shares rose by more than 8% in after-hours trading.

Tesla, which also has a solar energy division, said about $2.3 billion in revenue during the quarter came from the company’s automotive unit – roughly the same as in the previous quarter, but 93% higher than the same period in 2016.

Image source Twitter

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However, Tesla’s costs, including for research and development and sales, also rose contributing to the 15% rise in its losses for the quarter.

Tesla is preparing to ramp up car production, as it rolls out its most affordable car yet for the mass market.

The company told shareholders it expects revenue to grow “significantly” in the second half of the year, while expenses hold steady.

Tesla delivered more than 47,000 of its earlier high-end Model S and Model X cars in the first half of 2017, growth of more than 50% from the prior year.

Since Tesla rolled out its latest car, Model 3, last week, it is averaging more than 1,800 reservations for the car a day, it added.

Tesla hopes to make 5,000 of the Model 3 cars per week by the end of 2017. It hopes to eventually make more than 500,000 a year at its Fremont factory – or almost 10,000 per week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG-pZ7cbeb8

Apple Sales Exceed Expectations in Q2 2017

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Apple Sales Exceed Expectations in Q2 2017

Apple’s newer lines of business – Apple Pay, the App Store and Apple Music – helped the tech giant to drive growth in its third quarter.

Quarterly profit rose 12% to $8.7 billion. Revenues grew by 7% year-on-year to $45.4 billion.

The news sent its stock surging more than 5% in after-hours trade.

Apple, which also forecast strong sales, is expected to release new and updated iPhones next month.

CEO Tim Cook was tight-lipped when it came to details on the new launch and said reports about the new phones may have caused some people to “pause” their purchases of the existing phones.

However, “while that affects us in the short-term, it probably bodes well”, he added.

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Even with some people waiting for the new models, Apple said the number of iPhones sold in the quarter increased a solid 2% year-on-year, driven by strong demand in markets such as Latin America and the Middle East.

The growth lifted revenue from iPhones, which account for the bulk of the company’s sales, by 3% to $24.8 billion.

Apple also said the number of iPads sold climbed 28% year-on-year, while revenues from the product increased 2%. The rise follows the introduction of new models, as well as increased efforts to incorporate the tablets into operations at schools and in businesses.

Revenue from other devices, such as the Apple Watch, Apple TV and Beats products, jumped 23% year-on-year.

Apple’s China revenues slipped 9.5% from a year earlier to slightly more than $8 billion.

Its flagship iPhone is losing market share to a slew of local competitors, while the company also faces challenges in dealing with China’s strict internet censorship regime.

Tim Cook stressed the success of its services unit, which includes Apple Pay, the App Store and Apple Music. The division had sales of nearly $7.3 billion during the three months to the end of June, a rise of 22% on the same period last year.

Apple Pay now accounts for almost 90% of mobile payment transactions around the world, said CFO Luca Maestri. Paying accounts on the App Store are also on the rise, he said.

Tim Cook also addressed Apple’s decision to remove some products from its App Store in China, saying the company had to abide by the law.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQr-K6D36BE

I’m Just Getting Started: Some Things to Consider Before Buying Office Equipment

Nancy Clayson
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0
I’m Just Getting Started: Some Things to Consider Before Buying Office Equipment

In business, there are two types of people: those who end up failing and those who are successful. Individuals who climb the ladder and make it to the top know that a lot of things need to be done to obtain success. These men and women know that hard work, dedication, trust, and a little risk are the essential tools for being successful in their chosen fields.

From humble beginnings, a business has to go through a “Baptism by Fire” of sorts to become truly known and fruitful. When the time comes, a lot of changes are inevitable. For those who know how hard it is, the transition from a few furniture to a fully furnished office is a no laughing matter.

Whenever money is involved, a situation or a potential “turn for the worse” is always an expectation. Purchasing office equipment is one of those situations. If a business owner carelessly purchases any equipment or tool without planning, then they might as well close down.

Careless purchases can lead to right back to rock bottom for a startup company that’s still transitioning into a full-blown enterprise. Smart and Intelligent business owners know how to plan and watch out for the possible repercussions of buying office equipment in the long run.

Here are some factors to consider when purchasing office equipment for a start-up business.

Usage

architectural design, architecture, ceiling

To make the most out of your purchase, make sure that you know the estimated usage of an item. How is it frequently used? Who will use it? Knowing all of these conditions enables an owner to achieve a higher rate of productivity.

Skills

coaching, coders, coding

Part of having the best efficiency in operations is knowing the skill level of your employees who will use the equipment. Will a machine require training? If so, then part of the purchase is the training that comes with using the tools.

 

Repairability

blur, computer, connection

It’s inevitable that at some point, office equipment will break down. When the time comes, it’s good to know that the parts needed are easily available and not insanely expensive. Part of being efficient is also being able to decide in the effectiveness of a piece that’s either brand new or refurbished.

Support

Ideally, you’d want a machine with warranties and support. Warranty is of particular importance for brand new items in case they malfunction right at the start of usage. When this happens, the warranty will guarantee a buyer of a free replacement of the tool.

In dealing with refurbished items, it’s difficult to ensure product quality because they’re second hand and their warranty is most probably null and void. To make sure that the refurbished product is working properly, be very scrutinizing of the most minute details. Sometimes, a small dent in some parts maybe enough for a machine to stop working. Make sure to test out equipment before buying for any defects.

Price

calculate, calculator, close-up

The most important factor of all to keep notice of is, of course, the price of equipment. Not to patronize any particular brand, but branded items are more suited for purchasing. This fact is due to the warranties, servicing, replacement, parts, and other advantages that a brand has over particular products.

Although it may seem expensive, there are a lot of brands out there especially when it comes to printers, fax machines, copiers, and other tools that are part of the office. Most companies who deal with advanced business solutions make use of these devices.

 

Other factors to consider:

Some machines may have Service contracts with them upon purchase. Make sure to take full advantage of this to repair or replace your equipment. When dealing with service contracts, individual agreements such as the duration of the contract, availability of renewal of contracts, cancellation fees of contracts, and other pertinent details should also become a priority.

Takeaway

Undeniably, there is no easy route to success. A company who’s starting up will soon rise to the top if they’re careful and lucky. Part of that transition is purchasing office equipment for a growing number of tasks. As soon as a business grows, so does its operations

For those operations to be fruitful and efficient, the proper tools and equipment is a must. When purchasing machines, it’s best to take note of factors such as Price, Repairability, The Skills of those who’ll use the device, usage, and support.

Salvează

Salvează

We Hate The 7 Digital Sins Of Businesses That Don’t Think Of Their Users

Dana R
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0
We Hate The 7 Digital Sins Of Businesses That Don’t Think Of Their Users

The world of digital is divided between businesses that offer a modern and engaging experience to their users and businesses that have stopped considering the well-being of their users. It’s the latter category that interests us today, namely all the businesses that anger digital customers with old-fashioned and ridiculous practices. In an age when you can order a pizza with a click and get a taxi with another, it’s high time for digital users to make their voice heard and get businesses to change their ways. Here’s a list of the top 7 digital sins that are making users’ life impossible and that some – strangely unaware – businesses continue to perpetuate.  

backpack

Smartphone user

#1. The ones that think people don’t use smartphones

Smartphones are not exactly new anymore. iPhone celebrated this year the 10th anniversary of the little rectangle without which we couldn’t survive. There is no word to illustrate the social importance of smartphones but to give you an idea, try to name at least five adults who don’t own a phone. In short, it’s no wonder that most business strategies focus on maximizing the impact of smartphones on their revenues. Search engines have even agreed to regard responsive designs and mobile accessibility as a ranking factor. Some companies continue to rely on their mobile-unfriendly website that requires users to zoom in to read and that are impossible to navigate. The reasoning behind it remains a mystery. But the result is always the same: Users switch to a mobile-friendly competitor instead.

#2. The ones that haven’t changed their website since the 90s

The 1990s were cool: They saw the rise of the Internet. Websites may not have been elegant, but they were functional enough, even though they needed several seconds – if not minutes – to load. Today, a website that requires more than a second to load is guaranteed to lose some impatient visitors. But nothing is as bad as websites that have not updated their design to the latest trends. Flash sequences in the titles, impossible color schemes, a layout that seems inspired by a page from a word processor program, you know the kind. You need to work with a professional web design company to give your digital presence a modern and aesthetic look nowadays. Users are web-savvy, they expect businesses to display elegant, engaging and responsive websites. Anything less is just judged to be unprofessional.

#3. The ones that think pop-ups are cool

If you are not familiar with Jakob Nielsen and Dom Norman, they are the user experience experts who founded the Nielsen Norman Group years before UX was a marketable term. In the late 90s, Jakob Nielsen was already sharing his views about user experience. Unfortunately, it’s taken several years for the rest of the digital industry to catch up and apply his suggestions. More recently, the group has published an article referring to the most hated online advertising techniques. Needless to say that their words sound almost painfully true for several users. They mention pop-ups or model ads – which is the name given to an ad that appears on top of the content and needs to be closed before you can interact with the site itself – as the number one enemy of digital users. “Don’t forget to download our free whitepaper”, “Register here for a discount”, “Latest offers”, and much more, these pop-ups have a negative impact on the user. They distract from the content, and they are intrusive.

#4. The ones that force users to sign up

The marketing team has to hit the numbers; we get that. But why they think that forcing people to sign up to access the rest of the content will help to increase leads is a question that nobody can answer. Do you like to be forced to give your email address to read an article online? Nobody does. But, unfortunately for the companies that employ such method, most users are digital-savvy. They give fake email addresses. Mr. Test at [email protected] is a regular on the lead lists. Thankfully, Mr. Test doesn’t mind the intrusive newsletters and other emailing, which is a good thing because the rest of us can continue to enjoy the web in peace.

#5. The ones that play music or videos automatically

Most users nowadays open several tabs at the same time as they surf the web, to quote an old saying. And the one thing that they hate with a great passion is when without warning one of their many tabs starts playing a loud video or a piece of music. Autoplay is not only irritating, but it is also commonly accepted by the digital community as a bad idea. For a start, autoplay items interrupt the browsing experience of the user. Believe it or not, dear website, we didn’t give you the permission to play sounds at us. In an office environment, that can generate constant interruptions. In any location, users tend to shut down the tab and never come back as a revengeful act.

#6. The ones that use only stock photos

Ah, stock photos. Aren’t they lovely, all the same since the 90s? Websites that rely heavily on stock photos should consider the impact it has on their brand. Users cannot take a business seriously, especially if they have come across the same stock photos in another context. It looks cheap, unprofessional and slightly laughable too – particularly if you’re using the photos to illustrate the most individual element of your web content, the about-us page. Users can only wonder if services are also stock items.

#7. The ones that don’t proofread

Spelign mistaks ar no funn. Visitors have an unforgiven eye for spelling mistakes, missing links – 404 doesn’t go down very well with users – and other content issues. They expect the company to care about its web content as part of maintaining a professional image. Presenting a website that shows incorrect words, that is unable to offer proper navigation and that doesn’t flow logically is an indication that the company doesn’t pay attention. As a result, users tend to assume that services or products will suffer from the same poor quality.

From a poor reading experience to an overzealous marketing strategy, some websites seem to play with the users’ nerves. Unfortunately for these websites, it never ends well when you annoy your users. They leave and buy elsewhere, in the best of cases. In the worst, they take it upon themselves to destroy your business reputation.   

Rex Tillerson: “US Government Is Not Seeking Regime Change in North Korea”

Roy Siemens
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0
Rex Tillerson: “US Government Is Not Seeking Regime Change in North Korea”

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the US government is not seeking a regime change in North Korea.

“We’re not your enemy,” he said, adding that the US wanted a dialogue at some point.

However, a Republican senator said President Donald Trump had told him there would be a war with North Korea if its missile program continued.

North Korea claimed its latest missile could hit the US west coast.

The second test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 28, celebrated by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was the latest to be conducted in defiance of a UN ban.

Referring to the border between the Koreas, Rex Tillerson said: “We do not seek a regime change, we do not seek the collapse of the regime, we do not seek an accelerated reunification of the peninsula, we do not seek an excuse to send our military north of the 38th parallel.

“We’re not your enemy, we’re not your threat but you’re presenting an unacceptable threat to us and we have to respond.”

Image source Flickr

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President Trump has repeatedly criticized China, which shares a land border with North Korea and is its closest economic ally, for not doing enough to stop Pyongyang’s weapons program.

However, Rex Tillerson took a more diplomatic approach, saying that “only the North Koreans are to blame for this situation”.

“But, we do believe China has a special and unique relationship, because of this significant economic activity, to influence the North Korean regime in ways that no one else can,” he added.

In a separate development, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that President Trump told him that there would be a military conflict between the two countries if Pyongyang continued with its aim to develop a missile program with the US in its range.

“There will be a war with North Korea over their missile program if they continue to try to hit America with an ICBM,” Lindsey Graham said.

“He [President Trump] has told me that, I believe him, and if I were China I would believe him too, and do something about it,” he said in an interview with NBC’s Today show.

Lindsey Graham added: “If there’s going to be a war… it will be over there. If thousands die, they’re going to die over there. They’re not going to die here. And he [President Trump] has told me that to my face.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvwagZYnQa4

Venezuela: President Trump Warns Nicolas Maduro over Jailed Opponents

Diane A. Wade
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0
Venezuela: President Trump Warns Nicolas Maduro over Jailed Opponents

President Donald Trump has warned that the US holds Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro “personally responsible” for the safety of the seized opposition leaders Leopoldo López and Antonio Ledezma.

In a statement, President Trump also called for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners.

Leopoldo López and Antonio Ledezma, who had been under house arrest, were taken to a military prison on August 1.

This came after July 30 controversial vote for a constitutional assembly.

At least 10 people were killed, as the opposition boycotted the election.

President Nicolas Maduro said the poll was a “vote for the revolution”, arguing that the move would create peace and foster dialogue by bringing together different sectors of Venezuela’s polarized society.

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The opposition said on August 1 that it had decided to hold a demonstration against the new assembly on August 3.

Opposition lawmaker Freddy Guevara tweeted the rally would be held on “the day the dictatorship plans to install the fraudulent assembly”.

It had originally been thought that the government would open the constituent assembly on Wednesday, thereby evicting the opposition-controlled National Assembly.

In his statement, President Trump said the US condemned the actions of the “Maduro dictatorship”.

Leopoldo López and Antonio Ledezma were “political prisoners being held illegally by the regime”, he added.

“The United States holds Maduro – who publicly announced just hours earlier that he would move against his political opposition – personally responsible for the health and safety of Mr. López, Mr. Ledezma and any others seized.”

Earlier, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson described the re-arrest of Leopoldo López and Antonio Ledezma as “very alarming”.

“The situation from a humanitarian standpoint is already becoming dire,” he said.

“We are evaluating all of our policy options as to what can we do to create a change of conditions, where either Maduro decides he doesn’t have a future and wants to leave of his own accord, or we can return the government processes back to their constitution.”

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced on July 31 that the US had imposed sanctions on President Maduro.

Leopoldo López was taken from his home at 12:27 local time on August 1, his wife, Lilian Tintori, wrote on Twitter.

A video posted showed Leopoldo López being taken away by members of the Venezuelan intelligence service, Sebin.

The daughter of Antonio Ledezma, Vanessa Ledezma, also posted a video of her father, wearing pajamas, being taken away by the Sebin.

Both Leopoldo López and Antonio Ledezma were key figures in the wave of protests which swept through Venezuela in 2014 in which 43 people from both sides of the political divide were killed.

They have played a less prominent role in the most recent protests because they have been under house arrest but their video messages still get reported and shared widely on opposition websites.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPsusU754Fk

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